CBP CSMS Messages and Web Postings

1. Acting CBP Commissioner Testifies on SBI

2. COAC's December 2008 CBP/TSA Security Harmonization Comments

CBP has posted a December 2008 letter from the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) to (now former) CBP Commissioner Basham regarding Basham's request for recommendations for harmonization of CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security requirements and validations. (See future issue of ITT for details.) (Letter, posted 03/10/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_outreach/coac/meetings/11202008_meeting/harmonization.ctt/harmonization.pdf)

3. ACE e-Manifest: Truck Enhancements Deployed March 1st

CBP has issued a CSMS message providing details on the ACE e-Manifest: Truck enhancements that were deployed on March 1, 2009. The March 1st update enables carriers to amend a single shipment via the ACE Portal without requiring an amendment code to be posted for each shipment in the trip. CBP states that carriers should remember that if they file a manifest via EDI and update the same manifest via the ACE portal it is their responsibility to make sure equal changes are made in their own EDI system. In addition, the March 1st update enables a carrier to deactivate a driver's relationship to the carrier by using the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) UN/EDIFACT "MEDPID" message. Carriers may do this when a driver no longer works for them. (CSMS 09-000119, dated 03/10/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17505&page=&srch_argv=09-000119&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)

4. Weekly TRQ/TPL Commodity Report as of March 9, 2009

CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report as of March 9, 2009. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, tobacco, certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (Weekly commodity report available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)

5. Updated TRQ/TPL "Threshold to Fill" List

CBP has posted an updated quick reference to monitor TRQs and TPLs that are approaching the restraint limit or have filled the in-quota (low) rate. The list is divided into two sections - quotas that are at least 85% filled and quotas that are closed. (List, updated 03/10/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/trq_thresh_fill.ctt/trq_thresh_fill.pdf)

6. Correction Made to ANSI X12 350 Message for WHTI Deployment

CBP has issued a CSMS message informing software developers that a change was posted to the ANSI X12 350 message on March 6, 2009. Initially it was reported that that two new status messages (ST) "Driver account information needs to be updated with country of driver's citizenship" and (SU) "Driver account information needs to be updated with an approved Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) document" would be reported in the 350 X4 segment. This has been changed. These messages will be returned in the V9 segment instead of the X4 segment and will be reported as STV instead of ST and SUV instead of SU. (See message for additional details.)

(CBP notes that on January 16, 2009 it issued a CSMS message announcing the posting of enhanced EDI messages for ACE e-Manifest: Trucks. Those updated ANSI X12 & UN/EDIFACT messages contain new requirements needed for truck carriers to comply with WHTI requirements that will be deployed in the near future. There is no change to the original UN/EDIFACT message posted January 16, 2009. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/23/09 news, 09012330 9, for BP summary of the CSMS message.)

CBP adds that it is anticipated that ACE will support the new WHTI travel document requirements on April 11, 2009 and will send warnings to carriers that have not supplied data that is expected to become mandatory as of June 1, 2009.) (CSMS 09-000118, dated 03/10/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17504&page=&srch_argv=09-000118&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)

7. Other CBP Postings and Messages

Cocaine hidden in brooms shipment seized. CBP has issued a news release announcing that officers working at the Pharr cargo facility seized close to 253 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of close to $8.1 million that was hidden in a commercial shipment of brooms. (News release, dated 03/09/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/03092009_6.xml)

2009 CLP Bulletin. CBP has posted its 2009 Carrier Liaison Program Bulletin which provides, among other things, an updated list of Six-Month Club Members. Citizens of countries listed are exempt from the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay. (Bulletin, dated 03/10/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/inspections_carriers_facilities/clp_bullentin_04162008.ctt/clp_bulletin_04162008.pdf)

8. CBP Messages on AD and CV Duty Actions

The antidumping and countervailing messages CBP issues on behalf of the International Trade Administration are now only available on CBP's Web site at http://addcvd.cbp.gov. AD and CV ABI administrative messages are no longer issued.

An overview of a number of recent AD/CV messages posted to CBP's Web site, along with the case number(s), period covered, and CBP message number, are provided below. (Note that the complete message is only available at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.)